Holt Hickman

Chairman
President and CEO of Hickman Investments
 

After graduating from Southern Methodist University, Mr. Hickman served two years in the U.S. Air Force and then joined his father in business at Fort Worth Battery and Automotive to begin his career. He went on to build the company into the world’s largest retailer of automotive air conditioning units.

He was named “Outstanding Business Executive” of 2000 by the Board of Directors of the Fort Worth Business Hall of Fame and serves on the Board of Directors or Executive Committees of several notable companies as well as not‐for‐profit foundations.

Mr. Hickman and his wife Jo are also the founders of the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame, located in the Fort Worth Stockyards. He obviously brings extensive experience, networks, and notoriety to anything he focuses his efforts on.

Barry Sterling

Vice Chairman
Founder, President, and CEO of SkyDrill Power Systems

Barry Sterling’s entrepreneurial spirit is reflected through his strategic alliances, the selection of business partners,  and his long-term vision for SkyDrill and the alternative energy industry.

Mr. Sterling has an innate ability to create strategic relationships and leverage innovative technology.  With his academic achievements in Engineering, Government, and Geography, Barry successfully positioned himself to network in the technology and political arenas.  His drive was not only seen in his work in academia but also on the football field as a collegiate athlete.

Coming from a lineage of entrepreneurs, Mr. Sterling’s father, Richard Sterling,  was a serial entrepreneur owning multiple family-owned businesses.  Previous to founding SkyDrill, Mr. Sterling was a founding member at Air Quality Solutions Incorporated (AQSI), a startup environmental consulting firm that continued his love of starting companies and honed his ability to work with federal, state, and local government.

Barry’s leadership training was honed in the United States Army’s, 3rd United State Infantry “The Old Guard.”  He was hand selected to be the Aide-de-camp to the Regimental Commander and was Soldier of the Quarter in 1998 and Soldier of the Year 1999.  

Barry has been married for 9 years and has 5 beautiful daughters.  During his free time, Barry enjoys reading, watching reality shows, golf, and training for triathlons.

Barry's charitable activities include CASA, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (Team In Training), and supporting the local entrepreneurial programs.
 

John Bills

Board Member
Director & Chief Financial Officer of Hickman Investments
 

Mr. Bills previously held the positions of Controller and General Manager of a large international automotive parts distribution company with 10 separate distribution centers.

He is a proud Veteran of the Vietnam War, serving as a Crypto Communication Specialist in the Air Force Communications Service Branch. Mr. Bills holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Economics and Management from Texas Wesleyan University and a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Texas Wesleyan University.

Mr. Bills also serves on the Board of Directors for Hickman Companies and on the Board of Directors for both the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame and Expanco (both non‐profit organizations).

Greg Gardner

Board Member
 

Mr.  Gardner joined the ODNI on 20 April 2009 from Oracle Corporation where for five years he was Vice President of Homeland Security Solutions and Public Sector Strategy.

Previously, Mr. Gardner served in the United States Army, retiring in 2004 as a Colonel with 30 years of commissioned service.  During his final military assignment, Mr. Gardner was responsible for Joint Command and Control in the Command, Control, Communications, and Computers Directorate of the Joint Staff.  In this role, he developed the prototype of the Joint Protected Enterprise Network (JPEN) that enables force protection information to be securely shared amongst Defense Department organizations.

Mr. Gardner's military assignments include leadership positions in infantry, airborne, and ranger units and command of the 1st Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82d Airborne Division, and the 3rd United States Infantry (The Old Guard).

His staff assignments include service as Operations Officer, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 7th Infantry Division (Light) during Operation JUST CAUSE in Panama, G3, 25th Infantry Division (Light) in Hawaii, Executive Officer to the Commander in Chief, Pacific Command, and Chief of Staff, Ministry of National Security and Defense, Coalition Provisional Authority, Baghdad, Iraq.

Mr. Gardner, a graduate of the United States Military Academy with a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering, also holds Master's Degrees in Industrial Relations / Personnel Management from the Krannert School, Purdue University, Military Art and Science from the Army's School of Advanced Military Studies, and Strategy and Policy from the Naval War College.  Mr. Gardner is a PhD candidate in IT Management at Capella University.  He is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional.

Mr. Gardner served as a consultant to the Defense Science Board from 2005 to 2008 and chaired the Association for Enterprise Integration (AFEI) working group that produced cross-industry position papers on Service Oriented Architectures and Shared Services for the CIO of the Department of Defense.

He is a member of the Armed Forces Communications Electronics Association (AFCEA) and the Association of the United States Army (AUSA).

R. Todd Lazenby

Board Member
Founder, Victory Partners, LLC

R. Todd Lazenby founded WP Capital Partners, LP, the predecessor firm of Victory Partners, LLC in 2003 and is the Managing Partner of Royal Ascot Partners, LLC, an affiliated buy-out firm with close ties to Hickman Investments (a Ft. Worth, Texas Family office). Todd brings 22 years of corporate finance, investment banking, and entrepreneurial experience to the firm, having held increasing senior level positions in both mid-sized and Fortune 500 commercial and investment banks. He has arranged and overseen in excess of $3.5 billion in capital markets transactions, both as a principal and as an advisor in the areas of mergers and acquisitions and corporate finance.

Prior to forming Victory Partners, Todd was the Managing Partner of WP Capital Partners, L.P. (formerly Summit Capital Partners, LLC), where he sourced, managed, and closed in excess of $500 million in middle market transactions for the firm. Previously, Todd advised Winthrop Capital, a private venture firm, on its staffing industry consolidation strategy, structuring and negotiating the acquisition and financing of all portfolio companies on behalf of the firm. Todd was a founding principal and executive vice president of Affinity Finance, LLC, where he was instrumental in developing a joint venture with a leading California bank. Prior to forming Affinity, Todd held the position of Senior Vice President at Wells Fargo Bank in San Francisco, managing the bank’s national home equity division.

Todd has been a member of several company and charity boards, including FOH, Inc. (Fredricks of Hollywood), HomeBanc Inc., CMG Bancorp, Inc., Automated Data Sciences, Inc., First Chair Technologies, IFJG, SkyDrill Power Systems and InTelegy Corp. Todd served as an adjunct professor of Entrepreneurial Finance at the University of Phoenix in California and is a past member of the Dallas Chapter of Young Entrepreneurs Organization and a past member of the Baylor University Executive MBA Committee. In addition, Todd currently serves on the board of directors for the North Dallas Chamber of Commerce and the March of Dimes and has twice served as Chairman of the Breakfast with a Champion Fundraiser. He holds an ED in Finance from Stanford University, an MBA, with high honors, and a BS in Communications, with honors, from Florida State University, and a BSBA, with high honors, from Barry University.